To: debian-private@lists.debian.org
cc: rms@gnu.org, submit@bugs.debian.org
Subject: Re: Comments on Debian packages and installation
References: <199812211400.HAA26752@wijiji.santafe.edu> <19981221083843.D1448@debian.org> <199812230833.BAA15785@wijiji.santafe.edu> <m3yanznoz5.fsf@homey.physics.arizona.edu> <199812240655.XAA29581@wijiji.santafe.edu> <yttempptnm6.fsf@gilgamesh.cse.ucsc.edu> <19981224134919.J308@osiris.978.org> <199812261910.OAA07657@psilocin.gnu.org> <19981228124447.G14830@boof.novare.net> <199812301325.IAA11059@psilocin.gnu.org>
From: Adam Di Carlo <apharris@burrito.onshore.com>
Date: 30 Dec 1998 11:09:11 -0500
In-Reply-To: Richard Stallman's message of "Wed, 30 Dec 1998 08:25:06 -0500"
Message-ID: <oapv91k3x4.fsf@burrito.fake>
Lines: 44


Package: dpkg
Version: 1.4.0.31
Severity: wishlist

"Richard" == Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org> writes:
> Many different practical reasons "encourage" or pressure people to
> use non-free software.  Proprietary software developers make great
> efforts to create such reasons.
[...]
> On the 20th anniversary of starting the GNU project, five years from
> now, I hope that it won't be necessary for me to launch a new
> project to develop a complete *free* operating system.  I hope that
> GNU/Linux will still be one.  But will it be?  Only if people stand
> firm.

Richard, I think that your ultimate point, which is that point of the
GPL as I read it, is to encourage free software and the community of
sharing.  And I think that we have shown that Debian cares a great
deal about this issue as well, and has shown dedication in propogating
it.

However, your issue is with how non-free relationships are presented
in dselect.  I'm sure you're not against us packaging any non-free
packages, as that would mean basically the utter removal of non-free
and contrib sections in our distribution, and I haven't seen you ask
that.  So barring that, I think we can change the dselect interface to
accomodate your worry.

As you may know, no package in the main Debian distribution may
'depend' or 'recommend' a non-free package.  The 'suggests'
relationship, which is only intepreted by dselect, needs to have it's
GUI mechanics tuned so that relationships with non-free packages are
*presented* without actually causing users to worry that they need
that package.  I think that can be done pretty simply with some
verbage in dselect.

This message is a bug against dpkg to formulate this verbage and
implement it in dselect.  I hope IWJ has a chance to consider and
implement this; he's always very careful and complete about these
things.

--
.....Adam Di Carlo....adam@onShore.com.....<URL:http://www.onShore.com/>